"A valuable book in that it covers, in less than 200 pages, many of the essential questions regarding the geopolitics of the Islamic Republic and the ominous specter of a U.S. military attack on Iran."
—Danny Postel

"Targeting Iran . . . goes a long way in deflating the current rhetoric while providing some context and understanding for the current spiral of antagonism and drift toward confrontation . . . [T]he book offers some important perspectives on the renewed threats emanating from Washington and the realities of present day Iran."
—Allen Ruff

“Targeting Iran, a recently published book by journalist and author David Barsamian, offers critical insight into Iranian society and the geo-political battles being fought over the country's growing military power….Barsamian provides historical insight often removed from the mainstream media coverage surrounding Iran and historical perspectives that provide for a deeper understanding toward contemporary Iran….Targeting Iran is a fascinating read because it addresses contemporary politics in Iran with the subtle complexities that aren't found in mainstream political discourse. The book is perhaps a call for a meaningful exchange with contemporary Iranian society and culture.”
— Stefan Christoff

"Targeting Iran feels like sitting in on a series of riveting seminars by top experts. . . . You will find profound insight into the complex Republic of Iran in a conversational and easy-to-read format. I finished the book enlightened - which is more than I can say after watching the news."
—T. Tamara Weinstein

Publishers Weekly

Barsamian, founder and director of Alternative Radio and coauthor of Imperial Delusions, has produced a highly informative book that examines the U.S.-Iran standoff through interviews with Noam Chomsky, Ervand Abrahamian and Nahid Mozaffari. Topics of discussion range from the U.S.-backed 1953 coup to poetry in the years after the Islamic revolution, but the exposition of why Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad thinks Iran has the upper hand and the prospects for and likely consequences of a U.S. military strike in Iran are some of the most powerful portions of the book. "Both sides are playing brinksmanship," claims Abrahamian. One of the central conclusions is that the U.S. and Iran are teetering precipitously on the edge of another war that neither side can afford to participate in. In Barsamian's (and his interviewees') view, the best hope for a bloodless conclusion to the current standoff is for the US to approach Iran without demanding it submit to American demands before they even reach the bargaining table. This slim book is heavy with historical and cultural background that doesn't often find its way into news accounts; it's a great primer on a simmering conflict.

Book News Inc.

"David Barsamian is widely known in progressive circles for his interviews with prominent intellectuals on a wide range of political issues. In this volume, he presents three 2007 interviews with longstanding critic of US foreign policy Noam Chomsky and two Iranian- born professors of Middle Eastern history, Ervand Abrahamian and Nahid Mozaffari, on US-Iranian relations and the possibility that the US government may attack Iran over its nuclear energy program or on some other grounds. Barsamian and his interlocutors aim to provide critical background omitted from the US media when policy towards Iran is discussed, such as the decades-long support for the hated dictatorship of Shah Reza Pahlevi, and to introduce a more nuanced picture of Iranian society than typically understood by the average American."

". . . Barsamian’s listeners and readers know what to expect: clear, straightforward questions, often preceded by some background information. . . sowing insight into the intricacies and complications of a region that has long suffered in the hands of those worshipping at the altars of oversimplification, trivialization, decontextualization et al. . . Always at ease and at his best with Barsamian, Chomsky pulls out examples and arguments from his memory with the skill of a seasoned magician pulling out all kinds of objects from a hat and leaving the audience at awe."
—Khatchig Mouradian

Quotations

"Insightful, timely, and laced with rich historical perspective, Targeting Iran presents a bracing exploration of Iran’s current place in the world, and its tangled relationship with the West. These fascinating interviews capture Iran’s complexity and illuminate the morning’s headlines." -Azadeh Moaveni, author of "Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America And American in Iran"